15 August 2011

Battered, knackered, but victorious!!

The game yesterday was...well, good, because we won! But generally a little brutal and slightly bad tempered (as expected).

Sherlock managed to refrain from asking anyone to kiss. I managed to refrain from kissing Danger (behind the changing rooms at half time doesn't count. It wasn't my fault. He was utterly irresitible, all sweaty and muddy and in his tight rugby shorts.)

The match ended 31-24, with one broken wrist, a broken nose, suspected cracked ribs, possible broken foot and a steady stream of visitors to the blood bin.

Danger's got a cut on his leg, and numerous bruises, I've got some nice stripes on my back where someone skidded on me with their studs, and more various bruises. If anyone saw the two of us at the moment they'd think we were into some sort of S&M relationship.

Molly and Sherlock spent the time plotting to bring down civilisation - well, they were both smiling a lot, so that's what I presume. And Mycroft talked to both Molly and Sally for a while, and generally kept an eye on Sherlock.

Sherlock did insist on coming on our victory lap, on my shoulders. A few people commented that there wasn't much family resemblance. And in the pub afterward there was a definite split between people who could get over the fact we were gay and looked after kids and people who couldn't cope with this and just managed to occasionally stare.

Then Sherlock had a meltdown last night. The sooner we go camping the better, I think, at least John and I can share the load.

Still, work today, court then work tomorrow, and then Wednesday we're off!

93 comments:

mazarin221b
said...

Congrats on the win!

(But, um...what's the blood bin? Do I want to know? I probably don't. But I do.)

You guys are just defying societal expectations all over the place, aren't you? :)Gorgeous, manly, rugby-playing BAMFs who are really in love with each other and basically are parenting a couple of incredibly special kids that technically don't belong to either of them.

I think it's awesome. I'd have stared, too, but probably for entirely different reasons.

It just means a temporary substitution of a player, whilst they get patched up enough to stop bleeding. Since the rise of various diseases transmitted by blood, in a high-contact game like rugby you're not longer allowed to bleed on the pitch. But unlike a 'real' substitution, where a player takes over for the whole of the rest of the match, this sub only stays on until you're patched/stitched/bandaged enough to retake your place on the field.

And I suppose we are...which is sometimes great. And sometimes you just want everyone to treat you like normal. But then I don't suppose there is such a thing...i'd rather put up with the funny looks and have these three in my life than not have them and have a quiet evening in the pub, anyway :)

I got invited to play rugby once by the catcher on the opposing team at a softball game. I called up my sister, who knows about such things and said, "What do you think? Should I play rugby?" her answer was absolutely not. If you don't already love it don't start now, you'll wreck your knees and never walk again. So I didn't because i always listen to my big sister. But every time I see people playing I think it looks like a lot of fun.

I don't believe you, Kholly. As a big sister myself, I can assure you that if you take all of my siblings as a group, they listen maybe 15% of the time.

Though, I suppose, I could rephrase that to say the listen 100% of the time. They actually take the advice offered - and that they usually solicited - maybe 15% of the time. If they're not going to listen, why do they ask?

Bronwyn - I don't know. I can't imagine he'd do anything like this. But I could say the same for a lot he's done.

Danger - there isn't much here. Nothing important. They've taken a bit of jewellery - not like I had much. Mainly just the stuff I said above. Think they forced a window. Then found my spare keys and got out the front door. Probably feeling pretty safe that the police were busy elsewhere.

Well Sherlock, perhaps. Both of my brothers are highly intelligent and decent young men. Often they know precisely what they want and how to get it. Heck, in certain areas, I will admit they're smarter than I am, though in others, I'm smarter than they. But the fact remains, that I am older.

One of my brothers is nine years younger than I am. So when he asks me for advice about something and I answer him, I try very hard to use all the knowledge I've gained in those extra nine years to give him good advice. Nine years is a long time (almost half as long as he's been alive!) and so a lot of the things he needs advice or asks questions about, I've already done or had happen to me. The problem comes when he doesn't like the answer I give him because he thinks his way would be more entertaining or it's what he wants to do. He's very much his own person, and believe me, I'm more than aware that he's not usually going to take my advice. But sometimes it makes me sad because I already made that mistake and if he would just do as I tell him once in a while I could prevent an awful lot of unnecessarily painful things from happening to him.

I suppose it's human nature to need to learn from one's own mistakes, but it's absolutely MADDENING when he asks and then ignores me. Especially when I know it's going to end so, so badly.

My other brother is far closer to me in age. He's only three years younger (imagine being the youngest in this group - two Mycrofts to one Sherlock). He tends to listen more, but he also tends to ask my advice less because we're so close in age. When he asks for advice, it's in the areas in which I'm far more expert than he - like science or cooking.

That isn't to say I never ask my brothers for advice. As they gotten older and more knowledgable, I do. But, given that I'm almost a decade older, it's taken a long time for my brothers to catch up.

What really makes it so very difficult is that I love them both so very much and it makes me angry and sad and viciously frustrated when I can't protect them. Especially from themselves. Because I hate to see them in pain or sad when I could have maybe prevented it.

There was a necklace - in Italy it's tradition in some families that you should be given a necklace when you're born, and it usually has your initials on it, your blood group, your birthdate and often a religious symbol. And...well, I've lost mine a few times, and every time someone in my family has always provided another. And this time I doubt that will happen.

Oh, goodness! I'm so sorry, Lestrade. At least no one was harmed, and everyone is safe.

Sherlock, can you give Lestrade and John an extra hug from me? Although they're adults and may not be scared, it's still not a nice feeling to have your things taken. Remember how you felt when the little girl was touching your things? Imagine if you didn't know that it had been her that had touched them, but came home to find they were gone.

Call them, explain, i'll write down the crime number at yours, and the officer dealing with it, take that in, to make sure your dabs go on the right file. They'll probably say go in at your convenience. Tell em you're away after tomorrow if they try to put it off.

Wow, I spend a day visiting with my mother and come back to find chaos. So sorry about the break in Lestrade. Good at least they didn't take your passport, and your guitars were safe.

As for my skeptical friend Bronwyn I'll say this: I do listen to her advice, but I also only ask for it when I want to listen to it. And she doesn't tend to offer when I haven't asked. That sister is 8 years old than I am, but neither of us is exactly young any more. We both already know where each of our strengths lie. And she's probably already watched me make all the mistakes that are likely to make her cringe.

My strategy for being smart is not to try to know everything myself, but know who to ask and then listen to them when they tell me.

LOL. Kholly, you seem to have a sensible approach. My brothers ask about everything. Even when I'm pretty sure they don't actually want my opinion. I've asked why, but I usually get blank looks. *sighs* Siblings are weird.

Greg, I'm so sorry to hear about the break-in. Your home should be the one place that you feel completely safe in, and I'm sorry that you had that violated by burglers. It sounds like your necklace is a fairly distinctive piece of jewelry, perhaps your colleagues will be able to track it down through local fences and pawnshops?

*hugs* I hope the camping trip goes well and takes your mind off of things.

Lestrade - sorry to hear they took your necklace, although you sound a bit ambivalent about it. You talk about it as being of value to you, much more so than material goods, but then you say that it's your fourth and you don't mind not having one... which sounded a little unconvincing (but I'm probably reading between the lines and getting it wrong).

Nameless - I'm...I don't know. I'm not that bothered about having one, no. I was completely gutted when The first one was destroyed, but my Nonno and Nonna got me a new one - which still meant a lot to me. Now they're both dead, it's...it's not the same. Although if it came from John and the boys...well, maybe that's as good? I don't know.

And thanks, in court, which is pretty quiet. And I think is going well, so not a bad day to have before holidays.

Destroyed? Actually, don't answer - you are - hopefully - now on holiday, so let's stick to the good stuff :-)

There's the family you're born with, and the family you choose; they don't have to compete, you can have both. "Is it as good?" isn't the question, "what does/would it it mean to you?" might be more relevant. "Something different" might be the answer, but different doesn't have to mean more or less, better or worse. I'm rambling, I'll stop.

Glad you've had a relatively quiet day (I'd be bricking it if I had to give evidence in court). Weather looks good for the holiday - well, except Thursday :-p

Not on holiday quite yet...just sorting everything to hand over. Then I'm out of here.

Destroyed because we had a big house fire when I was 10.

Gods probably wasn't the right word. I just honestly don't know if I want a new one or not. I mean, it's not like gold is that cheap, or like I'd ever wear it. So...I don't know if it's worth replacing. If it was, then I would obviously treasure it if it came from John and the boys.

Giving evidence isn't so bad. I'm far more nervous on behalf of any witnesses/victims than I am for me.